The disclosure relates to a layered structure that may be used as a fusing member for use in photocopying and other printing.
The electrostatographic process, and particularly the xerographic process, is well known. This process involves the formation of an electrostatic latent image on a photoreceptor, followed by development of the image with a developer, and subsequent transfer of the image to a suitable substrate. In xerography, the surface of an electrophotographic plate, drum, belt or the like (imaging member or photoreceptor) containing a photoconductive insulating layer on a conductive layer is first uniformly electrostatically charged. The imaging member is then exposed to a pattern of activating electromagnetic radiation, such as light. The radiation selectively dissipates the charge on the illuminated areas of the photoconductive insulating layer while leaving behind an electrostatic latent image on the non-illuminated areas. This electrostatic latent image may then be developed to form a visible image by depositing finely divided electroscopic marking particles on the surface of the photoconductive insulating layer. The resulting visible image may then be transferred from the imaging member directly or indirectly (such as by a transfer or other member) to a recording medium, such as transparency or paper. The imaging process may be repeated many times with reusable imaging members.
After the image is transferred from the imaging member to a recording medium, it may be fused to the recording medium using a fusing member. The use of a fusing member constructed with a non-stick material as a top layer and a heat resistant base layer has been known in the electrostatographic art. Typical non-stick materials that have been used include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), ethylene-chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE), ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), and blends of these materials.
Fluoropolymer resin by itself, though an excellent non-stick material, is not compliant. Silicone compounds, on the other hand, are compliant. It is known in the art form a fuser member having a material combining the non-stick properties of fluoropolymer resins and the compliant properties of silicone elastomers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,427 to Sakurai et al. discloses an image fixing rotatable member including a base member; a silicone rubber layer on the base member; a primer layer on the silicone rubber layer; and a fluorine resin layer on the primer layer, wherein the primer layer is binder material containing the fluorine resin and aminosilane compound. Sakurai discloses that the fluorine resin is included in the primer layer in an amount greater than the silane compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,703 to Chen et al. discloses a fuser member having: a rigid metal core; a base cushion layer covering the metal core, wherein the base cushion comprises a condensation cured polydimethylsiloxane or an addition cured silicone rubber; a cured fluoroelastomer layer covering the base cushion; an aminosilane adhesive covering the fluoroelastomer layer; and an amorphous fluoropolymer covering the aminosilane adhesive layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,034 to Marvil et al. discloses a fuser member having a fluoropolymer non-stick topcoat on a compliant silicone rubber baselayer bonded to a metallic insert. The fluoropolymer is adhered to the silicone rubber baselayer using a primer blend of a silane and a polyamide resin. As the silane, this patent discloses vinyltrimethoxysilane, gamma-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane and 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,759 to Chen et al. discloses a method for making a coated fuser member in which the release coating comprises an outermost layer of fluoropolymer resin bonded to a fluoroelastomer layer by means of a fluoropolymer-containing polyamide-imide primer layer.
Additional and better ways to adhere a fluoropolymer layer to a silicone layer are desired.